Keyboard layout for handheld electronic book reader device

ABSTRACT

A keyboard layout for a handheld electronic book device is described herein. The device includes a display screen adapted for displaying visible representations of textual or graphic content related to the electronic book. The device also includes a keyboard for controlling presentation of the content. The keyboard includes two sets of keys. A first set of keys is arranged in an arcuate configuration relative to a first point of reference on the device. A second set of keys is arranged in an arcuate configuration relative to a second point of reference on the device. The second point of reference is spaced from the first point of reference on the device. One or more of the first set of keys and one or more of the second set of keys are arranged in a horizontal row.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/277,898, titled “Page Turner for Handheld Electronic Book ReaderDevice”, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/277,873, titled “HandheldElectronic Book Reader Device Having Asymmetrical Shape”, and U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/817,961, titled “Handheld Electronic BookReader Device Having Dual Displays”. This patent application is furtherrelated to U.S. Design Application Serial No. 29/246,293, titled“Electronic Media Reader Display”, U.S. Design Application Serial No.29/246,294, titled “Electronic Media Reader Keypad”, and U.S. DesignApplication Serial No. 29/246,295, titled “Wedge-Shaped Electronic MediaReader”. This patent application, along with the three noted utilityapplications and three noted design applications, were filedconcurrently on the same day of Mar. 29, 2006.

BACKGROUND

Electronic distribution of information has gained in importance with theproliferation of personal computers and has undergone a tremendousupsurge in popularity as the Internet has become widely available. Withthe widespread use of the Internet, it has become possible to distributelarge, coherent units of information, such as books, using electronictechnologies. Books distributed using electronic technologies arecommonly referred to as electronic books (“eBooks”). Various entitiesmake eBooks available for download over ordinary Internet connections,such as broadband and dialup connections.

EBook reader devices attempt to mimic the experience of reading aconventional paper book through display of electronic information on oneor more electronic displays. A typical eBook reader device is a handhelddigital device having a liquid crystal display panel and enough memoryand processing capability to store several eBooks. Such a device iscapable of retrieving and displaying an eBook or portion of an eBook forreading.

There are some advantages to using an eBook reader device overconventional paper books. An eBook reader device is often capable ofstoring a number of complete unabridged eBooks. Therefore, an eBookreader containing a number of stored eBooks weighs significantly lessthan the same number of paper books. This makes an eBook reader aparticularly attractive alternative to paper books for travel,educational purposes, and professional business use. Also, becauseeBooks do not require the use of paper products, they are generallyoffered at a lower price than their paper book counterparts.Furthermore, the use of eBook reader devices in conjunction with eBooksmay be beneficial to the ecosystem, by reducing a number of booksproduced using paper products.

To date, however, eBook readers and the use of eBooks in general havenot achieved widespread consumer acceptance. This is most likelyattributable to the design and implementation particulars ofconventional eBook reader devices.

Awkwardness in physically handling the eBook readers may be one reasonsuch devices have not yet gained widespread popularity. Another reasonmight be inconsistent or non-intuitive user interface actions that arisewhen a user is interacting with the eBook readers.

As such eBook readers continue to evolve, there remains a need forimproving a reader's ability to hold and interact with the readers.

SUMMARY

A keyboard layout for a handheld electronic book device is describedherein. The device includes a display screen adapted for displayingvisible representations of textual or graphic content related to theelectronic book. The device also includes a keyboard for controllingpresentation of the content. The keyboard includes two sets of keys. Afirst set of keys is arranged in an arcuate configuration relative to afirst point of reference on the device. A second set of keys is arrangedin an arcuate configuration relative to a second point of reference onthe device. The second point of reference is spaced from the first pointof reference on the device. One or more of the first set of keys and oneor more of the second set of keys are arranged in a horizontal row.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanyingfigures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference numberidentifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. Theuse of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similaror identical components or features.

FIG. 1 illustrates one exemplary implementation of a handheld electronicbook (“eBook”) reader device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing exemplary components that may beimplemented in the eBook reader device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the eBook reader device to demonstrateits non-symmetrical shape.

FIG. 4 is a front plan view of the eBook reader device.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of a first side of the eBook readerdevice, as shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a bottom elevation view of the eBook reader device, as shownin FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a back plan view of the eBook reader device.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of a second side of the eBook readerdevice, which is opposite the first side shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is a top elevation view of the eBook reader device.

FIG. 10 is an outline diagram representing a wedge-shaped configurationof the eBook reader device, viewed as a cross-section of the eBookreader device.

FIG. 11 is an outline diagram representing an alternative wedge-shapedconfiguration of the eBook reader device, viewed as a cross-section ofthe eBook reader device.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram providing a rear view of another possibleimplementation of the device, along with an accessory for the device.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary arrangement of keysin a keyboard of the eBook reader device.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of another illustrative configuration for thekeyboard, with example labels affixed to various keys.

FIG. 15 illustrates a dual display system employed by the eBook readerdevice, where the dual display system includes a content display and anarrow display.

FIG. 16 illustrates a page turning mechanism of the eBook reader devicein more detail.

FIGS. 17-19 show different example embodiments of the page turningmechanism.

FIG. 20 illustrates an elongated page turning mechanism.

FIG. 21 shows another implementation in which the page turning mechanismis positioned near an upper right hand corner of the device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure is directed to a handheld electronic book reader devicedesigned to allow users to read electronic content (e.g., text,graphics, multimedia, and the like), such as that found in electronicbooks, magazines, RSS feeds, newspapers, and the like. The electronicbook reader device has a non-symmetric shape designed to approximate thefeel of an open paperback book. To improve user interaction, twodisplays are mounted in the eBook reader device, one to present the textor graphic content and a second display to support user interfacefunctions such as navigation, command entry, browsing, lookup functions,or the like. The eBook reader device is further equipped with a QWERTYkeyboard with a unique key arrangement that facilitates improved userentry when the user is holding the device. A page turner is alsoprovided on the eBook reader device to allow the user to turn pages witha familiar tactile motion.

These and other aspects are described below in various exampleimplementations of an electronic device that presents electronic books,news print, electronic magazines, RSS feeds, or other forms of mediacontent. More specifically, the description herein provides anon-limiting implementation of an electronic device in the form of anelectronic book reader device.

The terms “book” and/or “eBook” as used herein include electronic ordigital representations of printed works, as well as digital contentthat may include text, multimedia, hypertext and/or hypermedia. Examplesof printed and/or digital works include, but are not limited to, books,magazines, newspapers, periodicals, journals, reference materials,telephone books, textbooks, anthologies, instruction manuals,proceedings of meetings, forms, directories, maps etc. Accordingly, theterms book and/or eBook may include any content that is in electronic ordigital format

With such eBooks, the content may be structured as virtual framespresented on the device and a user may turn or change from one virtualframe or “page” of electronic content to another. It is further notedthat various aspects and features described herein may be implemented inother electronic devices or electronic readers besides eBook readerdevices including, for example, portable computers, personal digitalassistants (PDAs), portable gaming devices, wireless phones, and thelike.

Exemplary eBook Reader Device

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary device 100 with a non-symmetric shape.In one possible implementation, the device 100 is embodied as a handheldeBook reader device. The non-symmetrical shape enables the eBook readerdevice 100 to approximate the feel of a paperback book that is boundalong its left side. As a human reader progresses through a physicalpaperback book, he or she may fold the read pages back around the boundspine and tuck them underneath the book. Overtime, the paperback booktakes on a somewhat wedge-shaped configuration as more pages are foldedback in this manner. Typically, the reader would grip the thicker partof the “wedge” in his or her left hand, and flip pages with his or herright hand. This shape will be more readily apparent with reference toFIGS. 3-11, which are described below in more detail.

The eBook reader device 100 has a body or housing 102, a keyboard 104,and a dual display system comprised of a first display 106 and a seconddisplay 108. The housing may be formed of plastic, aluminum, or othersuitable material. The housing 102 may be textured or otherwise providedwith tactile features to enhance gripping by a human user. Additionally,the housing may be of one-piece construction, or may be assembled from aplurality of sub-components or sub-portions.

The device keyboard 104 includes a plurality of keys. In the illustratedimplementation, the keyboard includes at least 26 alphabet keys arrangedin a QWERTY format as well as other function keys (such as space bar,control keys, function keys, and so forth). It is noted that thekeyboard may include other arrangements of the 26 alphabet keys that donot conform to the QWERY layout. The keys are separated into two groupsincluding a first or left-side group of keys 104A and a second orright-side group of keys 104B. The key groups 104A and 104B areseparated by a space or open region 110. Individual keys are sized toaccommodate a user's thumb or finger. While the keys are arranged inhorizontal rows, individual keys are rotated within the rows such thatkeys in adjacent rows lie along arcuate paths. The key orientationfacilitates ergonomic operation by a user's thumbs when the user isgrasping the two lower corners of the device 100. The keyboard 104 andkey orientation are described below in more detail with reference toFIGS. 13 and 14.

The first display 106 in the dual display system presents content in ahuman-readable format to the user. The content presented in the firstdisplay 106 may take the form of electronic books, newspapers, or otherreadable or viewable materials. For example, the display 106 providesthe text of the electronic books and also depicts any illustrations,tables, or graphic elements that might be contained in the electronicbooks. In one implementation, the content display 106 employs displaytechnology with a relatively slow refresh rate in exchange for arelatively low rate of power consumption. This tradeoff serves tomaximize battery life. Further, since the display 106 may be used todepict electronic books, the content is relatively static and hence aslow-refresh rate technology may be suitable for implementing thedisplay 106. In some implementations, the display 106 is not responsiveto user input.

As one example, the display 106 may be implemented using electronicpaper display technology. In general, an electronic paper display is onethat has a high resolution (150 dpi or better) and is bi-stable, meaningthat it is capable of holding text or other rendered images even whenvery little or no power is supplied to the display. The electronic paperdisplay technology may also exhibit high contrast substantially equal tothat of print on paper. Some exemplary electronic paper displays thatmay be used with the implementations described herein include bi-stableLCDs, MEMS, cholesteric, pigmented electrophoretic, and others. Oneexemplary electronic paper display that may be used is an E Ink-branddisplay.

The second display 108 of the dual display system is a narrow screenlocated adjacent to the content display 106. The narrow display 108 isillustrated as being positioned to the right of the content display 106,although it may be located elsewhere in the housing 102 in otherimplementations. The narrow display screen 108 may be responsive to userinput registered via, for example, a finger, a stylus, or other similarpointing device. Additionally, the narrow display screen 108 may enablepresentation of graphic elements that correspond to content displayed inthe content display 106. These graphic elements may be selected by theuser in order to select the corresponding content in the display 106, asdescribed further below. Some exemplary displays that may be used withthe implementations of the narrow display include organic LEDs, TFT, andPN LCD.

The narrow display screen 108 provides many diverse functions. Forinstance, it may present a form of user interface that enables the userto command the device to turn pages of text, scroll up or down pages oftext, zoom in or zoom out, navigate to other locations in the book, orthe like. In possible implementations, the narrow display 108 may bebroken into segments or zones, with different ones of the segments orzones corresponding to user input in different ways. For example, theuser might tap one part of the narrow display 108 to scroll in onedirection, and may tap another part of the narrow display 108 to scrollin another direction. The dual display system is described below in moredetail with reference to FIG. 15.

The eBook reader device 100 may also include a user input tool 112,which can be configured to support many diverse operations. Forinstance, the tool 112 may enable the user to flip through pages, skipchapters, operate the narrow display 108, or scroll through content onthe display 106. The tool 112 may be implemented in many forms,including as a scroll wheel, a thumb wheel, a thumb stick, a sensor thatdetects and registers movement of a user's thumb or finger, or any otheruser input mechanism. In some implementations, the user input tool 112may be operative in connection with graphic elements displayed on thenarrow display 108 to enable the user to place content displayed in thecontent display 106 in focus. The tool 112 may also be clickable so asto select the content that is currently in focus for additionalprocessing. Thus, the tool 112 may also be considered a selection tool.

The eBook reader device 100 may be further equipped with a page turnerto facilitate the turning of pages of an electronic book. The pageturner is configured to simulate a tactile riffle feel as the user flipspages in a book. In the illustrated implementation, the page turner isconfigured as a page turning mechanism 114 having a tactile member(e.g., a ridge or indentation) juxtaposed with one or more sensors, andsized to accommodate a user's thumb or finger. The tactile memberprovides the tactile feedback to the user to simulate the rifflesensation. The sensors detect speed and direction of the user's thumb orfinger, thereby enabling the device to detect gestures of flippingforward or backward through one or more pages of the book. Whileillustrated to the right of the keyboard 104, the page turning mechanism114 may be located in any number of locations on the device 100. Thepage turning mechanism 114 is described below in more detail withreference to FIGS. 16-21.

Additionally, the page turning mechanism 114 may enable a user to entercommands in a manner similar to that described with the user input tool112. More particularly, the user may interact with either the user inputtool 112 or the page turning mechanism 114 to, for example, navigatecontent, enter commands, browse menu items, or the like.

The term “page” as used herein refers to a collection of content that ispresented at one time in the first display 106. Thus, a “page” asdescribed herein may be understood as a virtual frame of the content, ora visual display window presenting the content to the user. Thus,“pages” as described herein are not fixed permanently, in contrast tothe pages of published “hard” books. Instead, pages described herein maybe redefined or repaginated when, for example, the user chooses adifferent font for displaying the content in the first display 106.

The eBook reader device 100 may also include a plurality of programmablecontrol surfaces 116. For convenience only, FIG. 1 shows four examplesof such control surfaces 116, referenced at 116A, 116B, 116C, and 116D.The control surfaces 116 may be programmed to perform any convenientfunctions related to operating the device 100. The control surfaces 116Aand 116B may be operable with a user's right hand, for example, whilethe control surfaces 116C and 116D may be operable with the user's lefthand.

For example only, the control surface 116A may be programmed to presenta next page (or other logical unit) of content in the content display106 when activated. The control surface 116B may be programmed topresent a menu of options in the content display 106 when activated. Thecontrol surface 116C may be configured similarly the surface 116A, so asto advance the page of content shown in the content display 106.However, the control surface 116C may be operable with the left hand.Finally, the control surface 116D may be programmed to present aprevious page of content in the content display 106.

It is understood that the foregoing descriptions of functions assignedto the control surfaces 116 are illustrative and non-limiting. Otherfunctions may be assigned to one or more of the various control surfaces116 without departing from the scope of the description herein.

The keys, tools, and turning mechanisms are merely examples of userinterface elements. The eBook reader device 100 may further includeother types of actuatable elements that may have dedicated or assignedoperations. For instance, the device 100 may have a power on/off button,and selection keys.

As also illustrated in FIG. 1, the eBook reader device 100 has variousinternal components, which are defined generally by the eBook readersubsystems 120. In one implementation, the subsystems 120 include systemstorage 122 and a processing unit 124. The processing unit 124 interactswith the system storage 122 to facilitate operation of the eBook readerdevice 100. The system storage 122 may be used to store eBooks and othercontent 126, as well as software programs or other executable modules128 that may be executed by the processing unit. Examples of suchprograms or modules might include reader programs, control modules(e.g., power management), network connection software, operating models,display drivers, sensor algorithms, page turn detectors, and the like.

FIG. 2 illustrates exemplary components that might be implemented in theeBook reader subsystems 120. In a very basic configuration, thesubsystems 120 include the system storage 122, the processing unit 124,and dual display system drivers 200 for controlling eBook content outputto the content display 106 as well as data or commands output to thenarrow display 108. Depending on the configuration of an eBook readerdevice 100, the system storage 122 includes a volatile memory 202 (suchas RAM) and a nonvolatile memory 204. The volatile memory 202 includes amemory portion designated as an immediate page memory 206 to temporarilystore one or more pages of an electronic book. The pages held by theimmediate page memory 206 are placed therein a short period before anext page request is expected.

The nonvolatile memory 204 includes a flash memory 208 that typicallycontains an operating system of the eBook reader device 100. Thenonvolatile memory 204 also includes an eBook storage database 210 tostore one or more eBooks 126 (depending one the size of the eBooks andthe size of the memory) that are displayable on the display 104.

The eBook reader subsystems 120 may also include one or morecommunication connections 212 that allow the eBook reader device 100 tocommunicate with other computer systems or other devices. Electronicbooks and other content, as well as program modules, may be transferredto the eBook reader device 100 via the communication connection(s) 212.The communication connection(s) 212 support both wired and wirelesscommunications with various types of networks, including the Internet.For example, the eBook reader device 100 may be equipped with an RFtransceiver to facilitate wireless communication over a wirelessnetwork. The device may further include a communication connection thatfacilitates communication with other devices via, for example, aBluetooth or IR connection. The communication connection(s) 212 are oneexample of communication media. Communication media may typically beembodied by computer readable instructions, data structures, programmodules, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrierwave or other transport mechanism, and includes any information deliverymedia.

One or more user input controllers 214 are also provided to capture userinput via the keyboard 104, tool 112, page turning mechanism 114, andany other user input element on the device 100. The user inputcontroller(s) 214 include a page turn detector 216 that detects theuser's finger speed and direction when swiped across the page turningmechanism 114. The detector provides this information to the processingunit 124, which then identifies the correct page to be retrieved fromthe memory (either immediate page member 206 or in the storage database210) and displays it on the content display 106. The page turn detector216, and its operation in conjunction with the page turning mechanism114, is described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 14. TheeBook reader device 100 may also have other input device(s) such as amouse, pen, voice input device, touch input device, and so forth.

The eBook reader subsystems 120 also include a power control unit 218and a battery 220. The power control unit 218 operatively controls anamount of power, or electrical energy, consumed by the eBook readerdevice 100. Actively controlling the amount of power consumed by thereader device 100 may achieve more efficient use of electrical energystored by the battery 220. The processing unit 124 supplies computingresources to the power control unit 218. The power control unit 218 mayfurther include a clock/timer for accurate control of power consumed bythe reader device 100.

The eBook reader device 100 may have additional features orfunctionality. For example, the eBook reader device 100 may also includeadditional data storage devices (removable and/or non-removable) suchas, for example, magnetic disks, optical disks, or tape. The additionaldata storage media may include volatile and nonvolatile, removable andnon-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storageof information, such as computer readable instructions, data structures,program modules, or other data. Output device(s) such as an auxiliarydisplay, speakers, printer, etc. may also be included.

The system storage 122 is an exemplary example of computer storagemedia. Thus, computer storage media include, but are not limited to,RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM,digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magneticcassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magneticstorage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store thedesired information and which can be accessed by the eBook reader device100. Any such computer storage media may be part of the eBook readerdevice 100.

Various instructions, methods and techniques described herein may beconsidered in the general context of computer-executable instructions,such as program modules, executed by one or more computers or otherdevices. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects,components, data structures, etc. for performing particular tasks orimplement particular abstract data types. These program modules and thelike may be executed as native code or may be downloaded and executed,such as in a virtual machine or other just-in-time compilation executionenvironment. Typically, the functionality of the program modules may becombined or distributed as desired in various embodiments. Animplementation of these modules and techniques may be stored on ortransmitted across some form of computer readable media.

Non-Symmetric Shape

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of one exemplary implementation of thehandheld eBook reader device 100. The housing 102 is designed with anon-symmetrical wedge-shaped configuration in which a left hand side 302is thicker than the right hand side 304 of the device 100. When the usergrasps the thicker left side 302 with his or her left hand, the housing102 simulates the feel of a bound paperback book, particularly whenpages that have been read are curled back around the left-side boundspine and tucked underneath the book. This leaves the right hand of theuser free to interact with the device, such as the keyboard 104, narrowdisplay 108, tool 112, and page turning mechanism 114. With thewedge-spaced configuration, the device weight may or may not beuniformly distributed across the housing, but instead the left side ofthe device may be heavier than the right side. The similarity ofhandling the device 100 as compared to a paperback book may enhance useracceptance of the eBook reader device 100. In alternativeimplementations, the device 100 may be constructed intentionally toachieve uniform distribution across the housing to permit readingcomfort regardless of whether the reader is holding the device with herleft or right hand. This uniform weighting may be achieved in many ways,including distribution of components inside the housing 102 oradditional weight elements positioned on the right side of the device.

The programmable control surfaces 116 are also shown in FIG. 3. In theillustrative embodiment, the control surface 116A may be approximatelythe same height as the first display 106. The control surface 116B maybe approximately the same height as the selection tool 112. Finally, thecombined heights of the control surfaces 116C and 116D may approximatelymatch the height of the first display 106.

The size and the positioning of the control surfaces 116 enableconvenient manipulation by users having a variety of different handand/or finger sizes. Additionally, different users may position theirhands or fingers differently on the device 100, and the configuration ofthe control surfaces 116 enables use under a variety of differentpositions of hands and/or fingers.

It is noted that alternative configurations are possible withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the description herein. Forexample, the device may be configured so that the user's right handreceives the thicker portion of the device. Put differently, in FIG. 3,the housing 102 may have a thicker left side rather than right side whenthe device is oriented for reading. One approach to implementing thisalternative configuration is to construct the housing thereof as areverse or mirror image of the housing 102 shown in FIG. 3. Thisalternative configuration may be suitable for left-handed readers, forexample.

The device 100 may also include ports 306, which may connect the deviceto receive data or power from external sources. For example, the battery220 may be recharged by connecting an output jack from an external powersupply to one of the ports 306. Another port 306 may support a wiredconnection to facilitate data transfer so that eBooks, other content, orprogram modules may be downloaded to the device 100 over the wiredconnection. Respective cables may be connected individually to the ports306, or the handheld electronic book device may be engaged into adocking station adapted to provide power and/or data to the ports 306.

The eBook reader device 100 may further include one or more buttons 308to support other operational control functions. For instance, thebuttons 308 may provide power on/off, menu selection capabilities,volume control, brightness/contrast functionality, or pageforward/backward functionality. These are but a few examples of thevarious functions that may be implemented in the device.

FIGS. 4-6 show the front, left side, and bottom views of the eBookreader device 100, respectively. The housing 102, keyboard 104, contentdisplay 106, narrow display 108, tool 112, page turning mechanism 114,and control surfaces 116A-116D are all visible on the face of the device(FIG. 4). The ports 306 and control buttons 308 are seen on the bottom(FIG. 6).

When the device 100 is oriented for reading, content presented in thedisplay 106 may be aligned parallel with an axis 402 (FIG. 4).Additionally, the keys of keyboard 104 may be aligned in rows that areparallel with the axis 402. The thicker left side 302 and the thinnerright side 304 extend along axes that are perpendicular to the axis 402.An illustrative but non-limiting height for the device 100 may be, forexample, 190 mm, but may range from approximately 150 mm toapproximately 200 mm. An illustrative but non-limiting width for thedevice 100 may be, for example, 135 mm, but may range from approximately120 mm to approximately 150 mm. An illustrative but non-limiting weightfor the device 100 may range from approximately 250 g to 300 g.

As shown in FIG. 5, certain control surfaces 116 (namely, the controlsurfaces 116C and 116D) are in the same plane as the displays 106 and108. However, these control surfaces 116 lie in a different plane thanthe keyboard 104, since the keyboard is angled relative to the displays106 and 106 by the angle μ, which is described in detail below. Theother control surfaces 116C and 116D are positioned along a surface 602(FIG. 6) that is not coplanar with the displays 106 and 108, as will bedescribed below in more detail.

As shown in FIG. 6, the thicker left side 302 of the wedge-shapedhousing 102 has a thickness T_(L) and the thinner right side 304 has athickness T_(R), where T_(R) is less than T_(L). In one illustrative butnon-limiting implementation, the left side thickness T_(L) may beapproximately 17 mm, but may fall generally within a range ofapproximately 15 mm to approximately 20 mm. Also, the right sidethickness T_(R) may be approximately 10 mm, but may fall generallywithin a range of approximately 5 mm to 15 mm.

As further shown in FIG. 6, the housing includes a left edge surface 602on the left side 302 and a right edge surface 604 on the right side 304.The left and right edge surfaces 602 and 604 are not perpendicular to ahorizontal upper surface 606 or the slanted lower surface 608. Therelationships of these surfaces are described in more detail withreference to FIGS. 10 and 11. It is noted that the relationship ofthicknesses, and the relationship of the surfaces, provide thewedge-shape configuration of the eBook reader device 100. While oneexample is shown, other wedge-shape configurations may be used.

The angle between the upper surface 606 and the left edge surface 602may be defined so as to enable a user to grip the left side of thereader 100 with a left hand. This angle may also enable the user tomanipulate the control surfaces 116C and 116D and the left-hand portionof the keyboard 104 with a left thumb. Similarly, the angle between thelower surface 608 and the right edge surface 604 may be defined toenable the user to cradle the right side of the reader 100 with a righthand. This angle may also enable the user to manipulate the controlsurfaces 116A and 116B and the right-hand portion of the keyboard 104with a right thumb.

The non-symmetrical shape of the housing 102 is further characterized byvarious non-right angles at three of the four corners of the device asviewed in FIG. 4. The upper right hand corner of the housing 102 mayincorporate an angle α, which defines the relationship between thevertical right edge of the housing 102 and an angled portion that meetsthe horizontal top edge of the housing 102. In one possibleimplementation, this angle α may be approximately 10°, but may rangefrom approximately 5° to approximately 15°.

Turning to the lower right hand corner of the housing 102, an angleφ_(R) defines the relationship between the vertical right edge of thehousing and an angled portion that meets the horizontal bottom edge ofthe housing. In one possible implementation, this angle φ_(R) may beapproximately 4°, with a suitable range from approximately 1° toapproximately 10°. At the lower left hand corner of the housing 102, anangle φ_(L) defines the relationship between the vertical left edge ofthe housing and an angled portion that meets the horizontal bottom edgeof the housing. In one possible implementation, this angle φ_(L) may beapproximately 5°, but may range from approximately 1° to approximately10°.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the non-symmetrical housing 102 of theeBook reader device 100 has other sloping surfaces that contribute tothe overall aesthetics and feel of the device. An angle β defines therelationship between the flat bottom surface of the housing 102 and thesloped upper portion of the housing. In one possible implementation,this angle β may be approximately 8°, but may range from approximately5° to approximately 15°. An angle μ defines the relationship between theflat top surface of the housing 102 and the sloped lower portion of thehousing. In one possible implementation, this angle β may beapproximately 5°, but may range from approximately 1° to approximately15°.

FIGS. 7-9 show the back, right side, and bottom views of the eBookreader device 100, respectively. The housing 102 includes a panel 702,which may be removed for access to the internal components of thedevice, including the battery. The housing also has speaker grills 704to emit sound from a speaker.

FIG. 10 illustrates the wedge-shaped configuration of the eBook readerdevice 100. FIG. 10 may be viewed as representing a cross-sectionalprofile of the device, presented in a more schematic form, as comparedto FIGS. 3-9. The wedge-shaped configuration is defined by angles 1002,1004, 1006, and 1008.

Angle 1002 describes the relationship of left edge surface 602 and theslanted lower surface 608. In one example implementation, the angle 1002is an obtuse angle in a range of 116° to 136°, with one suitable examplebeing approximately 126°. The angular relationship between the left edgesurface 602 and the horizontal upper surface 606 is referenced at 1004.In one possible implementation, the angle 1004 is an acute angle with arange of 40° to 60°, with one example being approximately 50°.

Angle 1006 describes the relationship of upper surface 606 and the rightedge surface 604. In one example implementation, the angle 1006 is anobtuse angle in a range of 132° to 152°, with one suitable example beingapproximately 142°. The angular relationship between the right edgesurface 604 and the lower surface 608 is referenced at 1008. In onepossible implementation, the angle 1008 is an acute angle with a rangeof 32° to 52°, with one example being approximately 42°.

With the illustrated wedge shape, the device 100 approximates the feelof a paperback book whose pages have been folded back around the spine(i.e., along the thicker left side 302) after being read. The user caneasily grasp the device 100 with his or her left hand along the thickerleft side 302 in a manner similar to holding a paperback book with onehand. As a result of folding back the read pages, the remaining unreadpages become feathered in a slanted manner, as modeled by right edgesurface 604 and angles 1006 and 1008.

It is noted that the angles 1002-1008 shown in FIG. 10 are illustrativeonly, and may be varied without departing from the scope and spirit ofthe description herein. In general, any angular measurements for thesefour angles that result in the overall device having anon-parallelogram, wedge-shaped configuration are possible. Thiswedge-shaped configuration may result from the lengths of the portions602-608 relative to one another, and/or the relationships of the variousangles 1002-1008 relative to one another. It is understood that thesefactors may be varied in any number of ways to result in thewedge-shaped configuration shown in FIG. 10.

The configuration shown in FIG. 10 may be suitable for right-handedusers. However, it is understood that the above descriptions may also beapplied to implementing a device 100 and related housing 102 adapted forleft-handed users. An example of such is shown in FIG. 11, which is nowdescribed.

FIG. 11 presents a cross-section of the device 100 in block form, andprovides illustrative angular values for the four angles that make upthe block representation of the device 100. The device 100 as shown inFIG. 11 may be suitable for left-handed users. For convenience ofillustration and description only, the device 100 shown in FIG. 11 maybe visualized as a reverse configuration of the device 100 as shown inFIG. 10, where a left side 1102 is thinner than a right side 1104 andlower surface 608 slants upward from right to left. New angles 1106-1112approximate mirror the angles shown in FIG. 10, where angle 1106 issimilar in range to angle 1008, angle 1108 is similar to angle 1006,angle 1110 is similar to 1004, and angle 1112 is similar to angle 1002.

FIG. 12 illustrates a rear view of another possible implementation ofthe device 100. In this implementation, the device 100 may includeattachment points 1202 and 1204 for attaching an accessory to the device100. The device 100 may also include an alignment point 1206. Anillustrative accessory is shown in block form at 1208. Similar to thedevice 100, the accessory 1208 includes attachment points 1210 and 1212and a complementary alignment point 1214 that coordinate with theattachment points 1202, 1204 and alignment point 1206 of the device 100.Illustrative, but non-limiting, examples of accessories that may be usedwith the device 100 may include a reading lamp, a foldable protectivecover for the front of the device, a docking station or othergeneral-purpose interface, a data exchange interface, an externalspeaker, a text-to-speech converter, an interfaces for a remote controlunit, an external network port, an interface for radio-frequency (RF)communication, a power supply for providing power to the device, anaccessory receiving power from the device, or the like.

The accessories may fit onto the back of the device, or may fit alongthe side of the device. Also, some accessories may include portions thatfold over the front of the device, or that articulate so as to focus onparticular portions of the device.

In one possible implementation, the attachment points 1202 and 1204include metallic members that are located inside the housing 102, out ofview. The accessory 1208 is equipped with magnetic attachment points1210 and 1212 that respectively engage the metallic attachment points1202 and 1204 on the device 100. The magnetic strength of the attachmentpoints 1210 and 1212 provided by a given accessory may be varieddepending on the weight and size of the accessory. Alternatively, theattachment points 1202 and 1204 on the device 100 may be made of amagnetic material. The attachment points 1210 and 1212 on the accessory1208 may then include metallic members that engage these magneticattachment points 1202 and 1204.

In other implementations, the attachment points may employ othercomplementary connecting materials. As one example, the attachmentpoints 1202 and 1204 on the device 100 and the attachment points 1210and 1212 on the accessory may employ Velcro®-brand materials.

The alignment point 1206 on the device may serve as a guide to helpalign the mating surfaces of the accessory 1208 and the device. Thealignment point 1214 on the accessory 1208 is complementary to thealignment point 1206 on the device 100. In one example implementation,the alignment point 1206 on the device 100 may be a raised or embossedportion, relative to the device housing 102, that fits into a depressedor recessed area defined by the alignment point 1214. In anotherimplementation, the alignment point 1206 on the device 100 may define adepressed or recessed area, and the alignment point 1214 on theaccessory 1208 may provide an embossed or raised portion.

In any event, illustrative but non-limiting dimensions for the alignmentpoints 1206 (on the device) and/or 1214 (on the accessory) may be 42.5mm in length, 3.4 mm in width, and 1.2 mm in relief or depth, dependingon whether the alignment point is implemented as a raised portion or asa recessed portion. The alignment points 1206 and 1214 may include afull round detail on both ends. However, it is noted that otherdimensions and end details may be implemented without departing from thescope and spirit of the description herein. For example, differentdimensions may be implemented depending on the shape, weight, purpose,or use of the accessory 1208. Additionally, the shapes of the alignmentpoints 1206 and 1214 are illustrative only, and other shapes may beimplemented as well.

The alignment points 1206 and 1214 may provide for both horizontal andvertical alignment of the accessory 1208 and the device 100. In someimplementations, this alignment may be purely mechanical. However, inother implementations, the device 100 may provide data and/or power tothe accessory 1208, or vice versa. In these latter implementations, thedevice 100 and the accessory 1208 may provide respective matingconnectors for performing such data and/or power transfer. The alignmentpoints 1206 and 1214 may help to align these respective connectors tofacilitate secure engagement between the connectors.

In any event, the attachment points 1202-1204, the alignment point 1206,and any signal or power connectors on the device 100 may define astandard interface for any accessories 1208 that may be attachable tothe device. By complying with this standard interface, those who providethe accessories 1208 may be confident that the accessories arecompatible with the device 100.

It is understood that the layout and shapes of the elements shown inFIG. 12 are illustrative rather than limiting. It is expressly notedthat implementations of the device 100 may include different layouts andshapes of, for example, the alignment points 1206 and/or 1214 withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the description herein.

Keyboard Arrangement

FIG. 13 illustrates the keyboard 104 of the eBook reader device 100 inmore detail. The keyboard 104 may be operative to control aspects ofdisplaying content presented by the device 100, or to enter text,symbols, or alphanumeric characters that may represent, for example,commands, search strings, or the like. The keyboard 104 may beimplemented as an alphanumeric keyboard, with individual keys forletters and numbers, supplemental keys for a space bar, <Ctrl> keys,<Alt> keys, numeric keys, function keys, and the like. In oneimplementation, the alphanumeric keyboard is arranged in a QWERTYlayout, although other arrangements of the A-Z keys may be used. Ingeneral, the keyboard 104 provides a respective key for each letter.Numbers may be provided on separate keys, or combined with certain ofthe letter keys.

As shown in FIG. 13, the keyboard 104 is composed of a first group ofkeys 104A and a second group of keys 104B, which are arranged so that auser may readily and easily reach all of them using his or her thumbswhen holding the bottom of the eBook reader device 100. The key groups104A and 104B are separated by the region or area 110, which has a widthW that is greater than a width of an individual QWERTY key in thekeyboard.

For convenience of discussion and illustration only, certaindescriptions are provided below with reference to either group 104A or104B. However, it is understood that descriptions provided for eithergroup applies equally to the other group.

As shown with the group 104A, the keys are arranged in horizontal rows,represented generally in FIG. 13 by the horizontal dashed lines 1302A,1302B, and 1302C (collectively, horizontal rows 1302). In someimplementations, the horizontal rows 1302 may be non-uniformly spacedfrom one another. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the rows 1302B and1302C are slightly closer than are rows 1302B and 1302A, although it isunderstood that other implementations may vary the spacing between therows 1302.

The keys may also be arranged in vertical columns, represented generallyin FIG. 13 by the vertical dashed lines 1304A, 1304B, 1304C, 1304D, and1304E (collectively, vertical columns 1304). In some implementations,the vertical columns 1304 may be uniformly spaced from one another. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 13, the columns 1304A-1304E have approximatelythe same spacing from one another, although it is understood that otherimplementations may vary the spacing between the columns 1304.

Only in the interest of legibility, the columns 1304 are shown onlywithin the group of keys 104A. However, the group of keys 104B may alsobe arranged in columns similarly to the group 104A, although the columns1304 are not shown explicitly in the group 104B to avoid complicatingthe drawing. It is understood that all descriptions of the group 104Aapply equally to the group 104B, and vice versa.

As readily appreciated from FIG. 13, the horizontal rows 1302 and thevertical columns 1304 form a grid, with individual ones of the keysbeing located at the intersections within this grid. More specifically,the center points of the keys may be located at these intersections.Additionally, the keys that are aligned in a given vertical column 1304may be rotated by or oriented at a given angle, relative to thehorizontal rows intersected by that given column. This given angle mayvary for each of the vertical columns 1304, such that keys in eachcolumn are angled by the same amount relative to the horizontal rows1302.

The printed circuit board structure underlying the keyboard 104 mayprovide electrical contact points at the approximately gridintersections shown in FIG. 13. The contact points may lie approximatelyunder the center points of the individual keys. However, the key capsthemselves may be oriented or rotated as described herein. Further, theorientation or rotation of the key caps may not affect the structure ofthe underlying printed circuit board.

In the illustrative but non-limiting implementation shown in FIG. 13,the three keys in the vertical column 1304A are angled at approximately45°, as referenced at 1306A. The angle 1306A may fall within a range ofapproximately 40° to 50°. The three keys in the vertical column 1304Bare angled at approximately 40°, as referenced at 1306B. The angle 1306Bmay fall within a range of approximately 35° to 45°. The three keys inthe vertical column 1304C are angled at approximately 30°, as referencedat 1306C. The angle 1306C may fall within a range of approximately 25°to 35°. The three keys in the vertical column 1304D are angled atapproximately 25°, as referenced at 1306D. The angle 1306D may fallwithin a range of approximately 20° to 30°. The three keys in thevertical column 1304E are angled at approximately 15°, as referenced at1306E. The angle 1306E may fall within a range of approximately 10° to20°.

As shown in FIG. 13, the angles of the keys relative to the horizontalrows 1302 decrease when viewing the columns of keys from the center ofthe device 100 toward the edges of the device. For example, in the groupof keys 104A, the angles of keys relative to horizontal rows 1302decrease from column 1304A to column 1304B and so on. Similarly, in thegroup of keys 104B, the angles of keys relative to the horizontal rowsdecrease when moving along the key columns from left to right.

As described above, unlike conventional keyboards, individual QWERTYkeys are rotated within the rows 1302 such that keys in adjacent rowslie along generally arcuate paths. This key orientation facilitatesergonomic operation by a user's thumbs when the user is grasping the twolower corners of the device. More particularly, the QWERTY keys may bearranged generally in several arcuate configurations within each groupof keys 104A and 104B. For convenience, but not limitation, the QWERTYkeys in group 104B are arranged along arcs 1308A, 1308B, 1308C, 1308D,and 1308E (collectively, arcs 1308). For clarity of illustration, thearcs 1308 are shown only with the group of keys 104B. However, it isunderstood that the keys 104A may also be arranged in a plurality ofarcuate configurations. It is further understood that the linesrepresenting the horizontal rows 1302, the vertical columns 1304, andthe arcs 1308 would not physically appear on the device 100, but insteadmay be considered guide lines that facilitate illustration anddiscussion. Thus, these lines are dashed in FIG. 13.

The arcs 1308 are arranged relative to a right-side point of referencePR_(R), which is associated with the group of keys 104B. It isunderstood that the position of this illustrative point of referencePR_(R) is somewhat arbitrary, and is not depicted with any degree ofmathematical precision. Instead, the point of reference PR_(R) providesan example reference point that may serve as a center point for thearcs.

Various ones of the arcs may be set at respective distances from thepoint of reference PR_(R), such that the arcs are associated withdifferent radii relative to the point of reference PR_(R). Thus, keysplaced along these various arcs are placed at radii having differentlengths. The keys 104B shown in FIG. 13 may be placed at distancesreachable by a user's right thumb when the device is in use. Putdifferently, the keys 104B may be placed within the sweep of the user'sright thumb, when the user is grasping the lower right side of thedevice 100 such that the user's thumb pivots approximately about thepoint of reference PR_(R). In this context, the arcs 1308 may be viewedas paths along which the user's right thumb may travel to select variousindividual keys.

Individual keys are rotated or otherwise oriented to accommodate thumbactuation throughout the arcuate sweeps of the thumbs, for example alongthe arcs 1308. At least some of the keys may be oriented relative to thepoint of reference PR_(R), or may be oriented relative to another pointof reference. The various keys themselves may be associated withrespective center points (e.g., the center point C), such that thesecenter points lie generally on one of the arcs 1308. Keys along a givenarc are aligned in different columns. Recall from the above discussionthat keys in different columns are oriented at different angles relativeto the horizontal rows 1302. Thus, keys arranged along a given arc areoriented at different angles relative to the horizontal rows 1302. Inother instances, the keys along a given arc are oriented somewhatnon-uniformly along the arc. Keys 1310A and 1310B along the arc 1308Aprovide an example of such non-uniform orientations.

The left-side group of keys 104A may be visualized as a mirror image ofthe right-side group of keys 104B. Thus, the QWERTY keys in theleft-hand group 104A are arranged along corresponding arcs similar tothe arcs 1308 described with the right-hand group 104B. To avoidcomplicating the illustration of the keys 104A in FIG. 13, the arcs areomitted.

A point of reference PR_(L) is associated with the keys 104A. When theuser is grasping the lower left side of the device 100, the user's leftthumb pivots approximately about the point of reference PR_(L) to reachthe keys 104A. Thus, the user's left thumb may travel along arcuatepaths similar to the arcs 1308 to select various individual keys. Thetwo points of reference PR_(R) and PR_(L) may be located, respectively,in the lower left and lower right corners of the device 100 when thedevice is oriented for viewing by the user. Thus, the two points ofreference PR_(R) and PR_(L) are spaced from one another on the device100.

FIG. 14 illustrates another configuration 1400 for the keyboard 104,with example labels affixed to various keys. It is noted that thearcuate and the row-column configurations of the keys are generallysimilar to that shown in FIG. 13. However, to promote clarity, the linesrepresenting the arcs, rows, and columns are omitted from FIG. 14 sincethey were shown in FIG. 13. The description related to the arcs, rows,and columns from FIG. 13 applies equally to FIG. 14. Illustrativefunctions that may be performed by various keys are now described.

A user may press and hold an ALT key 1402 to invoke an alternativefunction associated with any of the other keys of the keyboard 104. Forexample, to conserve space and to maximize the number of differentfunctions that may be performed using the keyboard 104, one or moregiven keys in the keyboard 104 may be associated with multiplefunctions. Such keys may include respective labels designating thesemultiple functions. A first function may be accessed by pressing thegiven key alone. At least one more function may be accessed by pressingand holding the ALT key 1402, and then pressing the given key.

The user may press a “space” or “space-bar” key 1404 to enter a spaceinto a text string being edited by a user. The “@” key 1406, the “/” key1408, and the “:” key 1410 may enable the user to quickly enter e-mailaddresses, HTTP addresses, or any other text strings that include thesethree characters.

The user may press a “SYM” key 1412 to bring up a menu of symbols, fromwhich the user may select for entry into a text string. The menu ofsymbols may be populated with a plurality of symbols that are mostlikely to be selected by the user.

The user may press a “SEARCH” key 1414 to bring up a search menu, fromwhich the user may initiate keyword searches. The user may searchcontent stored locally on the device 100, or may search content storedexternally to the device 100.

The user may press a key 1416 to change a font size in which the contentis presented in the content display 106. The key 1416 may be implementedso that as the user repeatedly presses it, the font size may, forexample, become progressively larger or smaller. The key 1416 may alsobe implemented so that when a maximum or minimum size is reached, thefont size may revert, respectively, to a minimum size or a maximum sizeto allow the user to repeat this process until a desired size isreached.

Dual Display

FIG. 15 illustrates the dual display system employed by the eBook readerdevice. The dual display system may include the content display 106 andthe narrow display 108. As described above, the content display 106 isadapted for displaying visible representations of textual or graphiccontent, such as contents of an electronic book in digital form. Forconvenience only, the content display 106 is shown in a generallyrectangular configuration in FIG. 15. However, it is understood that thecontent display 106 may be implemented in any shape, and may have anyratio of height to width. Also, for stylistic or design purposes, thecontent display 106 may be curved or otherwise non-linearly shaped.

The device 100 may also include a second display 108 in addition to thecontent display 106. As shown in FIG. 15, the narrow display 108 has aheight approximately equal to the height of the content display 106, buta substantially smaller width in comparison to the content display 106.As a result, the narrow display 108 has a smaller overall surface areaas compared to the content display 106. In other implementations, thenarrow display 108 may be wider or have different ratios of height andwidth. Also, in the illustrated implementation, the narrow display 108is positioned alongside of, and parallel to, the content display 106. Itis noted, however, that the narrow display 108 may be positioned inother relationships to the content display 106. For example, the narrowdisplay 108 may be above, below, or on either side of the contentdisplay 106. Further, although the narrow display 108 is shown in agenerally rectangular configuration, it may be implemented in othernon-rectangular shapes. In some instances, the narrow display 108 mayconform to the shape of the content display 106 as a whole, or to a partthereof.

The narrow display 108 may be located proximate the content display 106to enable the user to input commands that are to be performed on thecontent shown in the content display 106. In the illustratedimplementation, the narrow display 108 is aligned along one side of thecontent display 106 so that the user may visually relate content that isdisplayed in the content display 106 with corresponding areas of thenarrow display 108. To facilitate this visual correlation, someimplementations of the narrow display 108 may be divided into segments1502, with each segment containing a graphic element that corresponds toa portion of the content display 106. FIG. 13 shows five representativesegments, referenced at 1502A, 1502B, 1502C, 1502D, and 1502E(collectively, segments 1502). These respective segments 1502 may beresponsive to user input within the segment to perform an actionrelating to the content that is shown in the corresponding portion ofthe content display 106.

FIG. 15 illustrates the content display 106 and the control display 112as separate elements only for convenience of illustration anddescription, and not to limit possible implementations of thedescription herein. In some instances, the content display 106 and thecontrol display 112 may be implemented as separate elements, as shown inFIG. 15. In other instances, the content display 106 and the controldisplay 112 may be implemented as a single display, with logicallyseparate control systems for driving the content display 106 and thecontrol display 112.

In one implementation, the several segments 1502 within the narrowdisplay 108 may be delineated from one another using lines or bars.These boundary lines may serve to make clearer the association betweenthe segments and the corresponding portions of the content display 106.Assuming that the narrow display 108 is implemented with a technologythat uses individually-addressable pixels, these lines or bars may beimplemented by altering selected pixels to define these lines or bars.

To facilitate the foregoing functions of the content display 106 and thenarrow display 108, certain implementations of the content display 106may use display technology that provides a relatively slow rate ofrefresh relative to the narrow display 108. Assuming that the contentdisplay 106 would present relatively static text and graphics, thisslower rate of refresh may be an acceptable trade-off against reducedpower consumption. For example, if the device is an electronic bookwhose “pages” are turned or scrolled fairly infrequently once they aredisplayed, a slow rate of refresh may be acceptable. An example ofsuitable technology for the content display 106 is the electronic paperdisplay technology described above.

In contrast, the narrow display 108 may be implemented with technologyhaving a faster rate of refresh, relative to the content display 106.Even if the per-unit-area power consumption rate of the narrow display108 is higher than that of the content display 106, the smaller surfacearea of the narrow display 108 may negate this issue somewhat, so thatthe overall power consumption of the device 100 is neverthelessacceptable. The narrow display 108 may be implemented using, forexample, LCD technology. The narrow display 108 may further beresponsive to user input, whereas the content display 106 may not beresponsive to user input. For instance, the narrow display 108 may beimplemented with touch-sensitive technology that is responsive to stylusinput and/or touch input, and may be sized as appropriate, given themode by which the user is expected to interact with the narrow display108.

The content display 106 may present essentially any type of textual orgraphical content. As one example, in FIG. 15, the content display 106is shown as presenting multiple titles to the user. These titles mightrepresent, for example, titles of content that are stored on the device100 and that are available for selection and viewing by the user, orperhaps content that is available from an online library that isaccessible wirelessly or via some other connection. For example only,and not limitation, FIG. 13 shows five sample portions or elements,referenced at 1504A, 1504B, 1504C, 1504D, and 1504E (collectively,elements 1504).

Assuming that the content display 106 contains the five content elements1504 as shown in FIG. 15, the narrow display 108 may display fivecorresponding segments 1502. However, it is understood that the numberof segments or graphic elements 1502 in narrow display 108 may varyaccording to the number of elements 1504 presented in the contentdisplay 106. Also, the size of individual segments 1502 in the narrowdisplay 108 may depend on how the elements 1504 are represented in thecontent display 106. As shown in FIG. 15, the graphic elements 1502 maybe arranged in a column alongside the content display 106.

As one example operation, assume the user wishes to select a titleassociated with one of the elements 1504A-1504E in the content display106. The user may refer to the narrow display 108 and identify thesegment 1502 that corresponds to the desired title. Having done so, theuser may than tap or otherwise interact (e.g., via a stylus, pointedinstrument, finger, etc.) with the corresponding segment 1502 in thenarrow display 108.

As another example operation, the user may operate the tool 112 toselect certain segments 1502 in the narrow display 108. In oneimplementation, the selection tool 112 is configured to control movementof a cursor 1506 vertically within the narrow display 108 alongside thegroup of elements 1504. The selection tool 112 may be implemented as arotary device, a dial, a toggle switch, or the like. As the usermanipulates the tool 112, the cursor 1506 is maneuvered until it restsalongside the desired one of the segments 1502 that corresponds to thedesired one of the title elements 1504.

For convenience only, FIG. 15 illustrates titles in the content display106. However, it is noted that the content display 106 may display othersubject matter without departing from the spirit and scope of thedescription herein. For example, the content display 106 may presentmenu items, lines of text, elements related to a graphical userinterface (GUI), or the like.

It is noted that the space allocated to the various elements 1504 mayvary, and that all elements 1504 need not be uniform in size. Someelements 1504 may be larger or smaller than others, depending on theamount of content being presented in the elements 1504. It is also notedthat the segments 1502 may vary in size according to the size of theelements 1504. Finally, the size of the cursor 1506 may match the sizeof the segment 1502 with which it is aligned. As the cursor is movedvertically within the narrow control display 108, the size of the cursor1506 may vary, depending on the size of the segment that the cursor isalongside.

While title selection is described in the above example, the foregoingdescription may be applied to enable the user to execute any number ofrequested operations. For example, having selected a given title forreading, the user may navigate through the selection by selecting,touching, or otherwise interacting with the segments 1502. In general,the segments 1502 may enable the user to cause some action to beperformed on subject matter presented in the content display 106.

Pace Turner

FIG. 16 shows one implementation of the page turner in more detail. Inthis implementation, the page turner is embodied as the page turningmechanism 114 located in the lower right side of the reader device 100,adjacent to the keyboard 104. In this location, the user can hold theeBook reader in the left hand, and turn pages of the electronic bookusing his or her right hand, similar to how the user would leaf througha physical paperback book. The mechanism 114 is sized to accommodate theuser's thumb 1602 (or other finger). The user turns pages of theelectronic book (or other electronic content) by swiping his or herthumb 1602 across the page turning mechanism 114. A left-to-right motiondirects the reader device 100 to turn the pages forward in theelectronic book, and a right-to-left motion directs the device 100 toturn the pages backward in the electronic book. It is noted that themechanism may be positioned elsewhere on the eBook reader device 100,and FIG. 16 illustrates just one example location.

Further, recall from above that a “page” as described herein may beunderstood as a virtual frame of the content, or a visual display windowpresenting the content to the user. The pages presented on the device100 and turned using the page turning mechanism 114 may not corresponddirectly to the identical hard pages in the associated physical book.Depending on display capabilities, font size, and other such parameters,any given “page” displayed on the device 100 may contain more or lesstext/graphics than the corresponding hard page. Thus, the page turningmechanism 114 turns pages in the sense of changing from one displayframe to another.

The page turning mechanism 114 includes at least one sensor and at leastone tactile member. In the FIG. 16 illustration, the mechanism 114 has asingle tactile member 1604 positioned between two sensors 1606 and 1608.The tactile member 1604 provides tactile feedback as the user swipes hisor her thumb 1602 over the page turning mechanism 114. In this example,the tactile member 1604 is a ridge that projects outward from thesurface, as illustrated in the cross-section taken along lines A-A (andlabeled 16 A-A). The tactile member 1604 simulates the riffle sensationexperienced when a user flips through paper pages of a physical book.The ridge member 1604 may be implemented using hard materials, such asplastic, or may alternatively be configured as a flexible member using,for example, an elastomeric material. In addition, the ridge member 1604may also have a surface construction or structure that providesadditional tactile sensation when a user passes his or her thumb overthe mechanism 114. In this manner, the surface may include small ridges,uneven contour, or other configurations to provide a tactile feedback.Furthermore, the surfaces of sensors 1606 and 1608 may also possess anon-smooth surface that provides a tactile sensation. More generally,the ridge members and sensors have surfaces that when stroked by auser's finger, impart a sensation of leafing through paper pages in aphysical book.

The sensors 1606 and 1608 detect speed and direction of the user's thumbor finger. When passing over the mechanism 114 in a left-to-right swipe,the left-side sensor 1606 detects the thumb first, followed by theright-side sensor 1608. Conversely, when passing over the mechanism 114in a right-to-left swipe, the right-side sensor 1608 detects the thumbfirst, followed by the left-side sensor 1608. In one implementation, thesensors are capacitance sensors that detect presence of gestureproximity via changes in capacitance. The capacitance sensors generatesignals in response to changes in capacitance. Other types of sensorsthat may be used include resistive sensors, force or strain gaugesensors, and optical sensors. When implemented using certain alternativesensors, such as resistive and force sensors, the page turning mechanism114 may also be configured to detect pressure in addition to directionand speed.

The signals generated by the sensors' detection of thumb movement arepassed to a page turn detector 216. From these signals, the detector 216determines direction of the thumb movement as a function of the order inwhich the sensor signals are received. For left-to-right movement, asignal from the left-side sensor 1606 will be received before a signalfrom the right-side sensor 1608, and vice versa for a right-to-leftmovement. Additionally, the page turn detector 216 can approximate thespeed of the thumb movement as a function of a time difference betweenreceipt of signals from the two sensors 1606 and 1608, with a shortertime delay indicating a faster swipe and a longer time delay indicatinga slower swipe. Thus, the page turning mechanism 114 is able to detectgestures of flipping forward or backward through the book, and canadvance one page at a time for a slower swipe (i.e., if the thumb speedis below a threshold) or multiple pages at a time (i.e., if the thumbspeed is above a threshold). The page turn detector 216 may beimplemented as an electronics component, or as software executing on thedevice 100. Depending upon implementations, a pressure parameter mayalso be provided to the page turn detector 216.

FIGS. 17-19 illustrate exemplary alternative implementations of the pageturning mechanism. In FIG. 17, the mechanism 1700 has three tactilemembers 1702 positioned atop a single sensor 1704. In thisimplementation, the sensor 1704 is a resistive or force pad that detectspressure from contact or touch, and hence can detect location of theuser's thumb on either side of the ridges 1702. It is noted that inother implementations, the tactile members 1702 may be positionedbetween two sensors, similar to that shown in FIG. 16.

The three tactile members are raised from the surface of the device, asillustrated by the cross-section taken through line B-B (and labeled 17B-B). Page turning mechanism 1700 is similar to mechanism 114 in FIG.16, in that the tactile feedback is provided by raised ridges. However,unlike mechanism 114, the page turning mechanism 1700 of FIG. 17 hasmultiple tactile members (three in this example) to further simulate theedges of paper.

FIG. 18 shows another implementation of a page turning mechanism 1800,which has a single tactile member 1802 juxtaposed between two sensors.However, unlike the ridge member of FIG. 16, the tactile member 1802 inFIG. 18 is formed as a channel or indentation into the surface of thedevice. As shown in the cross section taken through line C-C (andlabeled 18 C-C), the tactile member 1802 has a semi-circular cavityformed in the device surface.

FIG. 19 shows yet another implementation of a page turning mechanism1900. In this implementation, the mechanism 1900 employs a combinationof raised and indented tactile members. More specifically, the mechanism1900 includes a ridge member 1902 surrounded by indentation members 1904and 1906. This tactile assembly is then positioned between the twosensors. A cross-sectional view taken through lines D-D (and labeled 19D-D) shows the alternating concave-raised-concave pattern.

The implementations illustrated in FIGS. 16-19 are merely examples. Anycombination of at least one tactile member and at least one sensor ispossible.

FIG. 20 shows another implementation of an elongated page turningmechanism 2002 that is sized substantially larger than a human thumb. Inthis example, the page turning mechanism 2002 extends approximately theheight of the display 106, although other intermediate sizes arepossible. The elongated page turning mechanism 2002 includes a longridge member positioned between two sensors, similar to that shown inFIG. 16. It is noted, however, that other arrangements of one or moretactical members and one or more sensors may be used, such as thoseshown in FIGS. 17-19. Further, the elongated page turning mechanism 2002replaces the control surfaces 116A and 11613 in this arrangement.

The page turning mechanism 2002 may further be configured to detect theabsolute position of the user's thumb or finger (or other pointingelement) along the height of the sensor. In this manner, the pageturning mechanism may be used to perform other functions than turningpages of content, such as highlighting a portion of text, selecting ahighlighted section, or selecting a menu option when a menu is depictedon the display. Thus, although the page turning mechanisms 114 and 2002are described as being configured to turn pages, they may be configuredto perform other functions in response to detecting gestures.

FIG. 21 shows another implementation in which the page turning mechanism114 is positioned at a location near the upper right hand corner. Inthis position, the mechanism 114 resembles a bookmark referencing a pageor location in the eBook to which the reader can return. It is notedthat the page turning mechanism may be located in any number of areas,and those shown in FIGS. 16-21 are merely representative.

CONCLUSION

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understoodthat the subject matter defined in the appended claims is notnecessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather,the specific features and acts are disclosed as exemplary forms ofimplementing the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A handheld electronic book device comprising: adisplay screen adapted for displaying visible representations of contentof an electronic book; a keyboard having keys arranged in horizontalrows and vertical columns, wherein the keyboard includes: a top row ofhorizontally aligned keys that are oriented uniformly; a plurality ofmiddle rows of keys that are oriented non-uniformly; and a bottom row ofhorizontally aligned keys that are oriented uniformly; wherein a firstplurality of the keys in the middle rows is arranged in arcs relative toa first point of reference on the device, and a second plurality of thekeys in the middle rows is arranged in arcs relative to a second pointof reference on the device, the second point of reference being spacedfrom the first point of reference on the device; wherein the pluralityof middle rows of keys comprises at least 26 keys; and wherein each keyof the middle rows of keys is located at a distinct intersection of oneof the middle rows with one of the arcs.
 2. The handheld electronic bookdevice of claim 1, wherein the display screen is for presenting textualcontent.
 3. The handheld electronic book device of claim 1, wherein thedisplay screen is for presenting graphic content.
 4. The handheldelectronic book device of claim 1, wherein the horizontal rows arespaced non-uniformly from one another.
 5. The handheld electronic bookdevice of claim 1, wherein the horizontal rows are spaced uniformly fromone another.
 6. The handheld electronic book device of claim 1, whereinthe vertical columns are spaced non-uniformly from one another.
 7. Thehandheld electronic book device of claim 1, wherein the vertical columnsare spaced uniformly from one another.
 8. The handheld electronic deviceof claim 1, wherein keys in at least one of the rows are rotatedrelative to other keys in the same row, and wherein a center point ofeach key of the first and second pluralities of keys lies at anintersection of one of the vertical columns and one of the horizontalrows.
 9. The handheld electronic device of claim 1, wherein each key ofthe first and second pluralities of keys is located at an intersectionof one of the arcs with one of the middle rows and one of the verticalcolumns.
 10. The handheld electronic device of claim 1, furthercomprising a printed circuit board underlying the keyboard and having auniform grid of contacts arranged in horizontal rows and verticalcolumns, wherein a center point of each key of the plurality of keyslies at a distinct intersection of one of the vertical columns and oneof the horizontal rows of the uniform grid of contacts.
 11. The handheldelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the vertical columns include afirst vertical column closest to a center of the handheld electronicdevice and additional vertical columns, which are between the firstvertical column and an outside edge of the handheld electronic device;and wherein keys located in the middle rows of keys of the firstvertical column are oriented at a first angle from horizontal, andwherein keys located in the middle rows of keys of the additionalvertical columns are oriented at angles from horizontal thatprogressively decrease toward the outside edge of the handheldelectronic device.
 12. A handheld electronic device comprising: adisplay screen adapted for displaying visible representations ofcontent; a keyboard having first and second pluralities of keys arrangedin horizontal rows, at least one of the horizontal rows having keysoriented at progressively changing angles along a length of the at leastone horizontal row; and a plurality of dedicated function keyscorresponding to non-alphanumeric symbols for entering at least one ofe-mail addresses and HTTP addresses.
 13. The handheld electronic deviceof claim 12, wherein the display screen is for presenting textualcontent.
 14. The handheld electronic device of claim 12, wherein thedisplay screen is for presenting graphic content.
 15. The handheldelectronic device of claim 12, wherein the dedicated function keysinclude a dedicated colon key.
 16. The handheld electronic device ofclaim 12, wherein the dedicated function keys include a dedicated @ key.17. The handheld electronic device of claim 12, wherein the dedicatedfunction keys include a dedicated / key.
 18. The handheld electronicdevice of claim 12, wherein the first plurality of keys is arranged inat least one arcuate configuration relative to a first point ofreference on the device and the second plurality of keys is arranged inat least one arcuate configuration relative to a second point ofreference on the device, and wherein the second point of reference isspaced from the first point of reference.
 19. The handheld electronicdevice of claim 12, wherein the first and second pluralities of keys arefurther arranged in vertical columns, and wherein keys in at least oneof the rows are rotated relative to other keys in the same row, andwherein a center point of each key of the first and second pluralitiesof keys lies at an intersection of one of the vertical columns and oneof the horizontal rows.
 20. A handheld electronic device comprising: adisplay screen adapted for displaying visible representations ofcontent; and a keyboard having first and second pluralities of keysarranged in a grid of horizontal rows and vertical columns, thehorizontal rows comprising: a top row of horizontally aligned keys; aplurality of middle rows of keys; and a bottom row of horizontallyaligned keys; wherein the first plurality of keys is arranged in atleast one arcuate configuration relative to a first point of referenceon the device and the second plurality of keys is arranged in at leastone arcuate configuration relative to a second point of reference on thedevice, and wherein the second point of reference is spaced from thefirst point of reference, and wherein the plurality of middle rows ofkeys comprises at least 26 keys, which are disposed in vertical columns,including a first vertical column closest to a center of the handheldelectronic device and additional vertical columns, which are between thefirst vertical column and an outside edge of the handheld electronicdevice, wherein keys located in the middle rows of keys of the firstvertical column are oriented at a first angle from horizontal, andwherein keys located in the middle rows of keys of the additionalvertical columns are oriented at angles from horizontal thatprogressively decrease toward the outside edge of the handheldelectronic device.
 21. The device of claim 20, wherein the displayscreen is for presenting textual content.
 22. The device of claim 20,wherein the display screen is for presenting graphic content.
 23. Thedevice of claim 20, wherein at least a subset of the first plurality ofkeys is arranged in a second arcuate configuration relative to the firstpoint of reference.
 24. The device of claim 23, wherein the arcuateconfiguration is associated with a first radius relative to the firstpoint of reference, and wherein the second arcuate configuration isassociated with a second radius relative to the first point ofreference.
 25. The device of claim 24, wherein the first radius islonger than the second radius.
 26. The device of claim 20, wherein atleast a subset of the second plurality of keys is arranged in a secondarcuate configuration relative to the second point of reference.
 27. Thedevice of claim 26, wherein the second arcuate configuration isassociated with a first radius relative to the second point ofreference, and wherein the second arcuate configuration is associatedwith a second radius relative to the second point of reference.
 28. Thedevice of claim 27, wherein the first radius is longer than the secondradius.
 29. The device of claim 20, wherein the device is generallyrectangular in shape, wherein the first point of reference is located ina first lower corner when the device is oriented for viewing the contenton the display screen, and wherein the second point of reference islocated in an adjacent lower corner when the device is oriented forviewing the content on the display screen.
 30. The device of claim 20,wherein the first plurality of keys and the second plurality of keys areconfigured to provide a keyboard associated with the device, wherein thefirst plurality of keys are positioned to be operable by a user using afirst thumb, and wherein the second plurality of keys are positioned tobe operable by the user using another thumb.
 31. The device of claim 20,wherein the first plurality of keys and the second plurality of keys areconfigured to provide a keyboard associated with the device, wherein allof the keys of the keyboard are reachable using a first and second thumbof a user when the user is grasping the device.
 32. The device of claim20, wherein at least some of the first plurality of the keys areoriented uniformly relative to the arcuate configuration.
 33. The deviceof claim 20, wherein at least some of the first plurality of the keysare oriented non-uniformly relative to the arcuate configuration. 34.The device of claim 20, wherein at least some of the second plurality ofthe keys are oriented uniformly relative to the arcuate configuration.35. The device of claim 20, wherein at least some of the secondplurality of the keys are oriented non-uniformly relative to the arcuateconfiguration.
 36. A handheld device comprising: a display screen; and akeyboard having a plurality of keys arranged in horizontal rows andvertical columns; wherein at least some of the plurality of the keys aredisposed along arcs relative to a first point of reference on the deviceand at least some others of the plurality of keys are disposed alongarcs relative to a second point of reference on the device, and whereineach key disposed along one of the arcs is disposed at a discreteintersection of the respective arc with one of the horizontal rows andone of the vertical columns.
 37. The handheld device of claim 36,wherein keys in at least one row are rotated relative to other keys inthe same row.
 38. The handheld device of claim 37, wherein keys in atleast one column are rotated relative to other keys in the same column.39. The handheld device of claim 36, the second point of reference beingspaced from the first point of reference.
 40. A handheld devicecomprising: a display screen; a keyboard having a plurality of keysarranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns, the keys beingoriented at a plurality of different angles relative to one another; anda printed circuit board underlying the keyboard, having a uniform gridof contacts arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns, wherein acenter point of each key of the plurality of keys lies at a distinctintersection of one of the vertical columns and one of the horizontalrows of the uniform grid of contacts.
 41. The handheld device of claim40, wherein at least some of the plurality of the keys are disposedalong an arc relative to a first point of reference on the device and atleast some others of the plurality of keys are disposed along an arcrelative to a second point of reference on the device, and wherein keysdisposed along one of the arcs are disposed at intersections of the arcwith one of the horizontal rows and one of the vertical columns.
 42. Thehandheld device of claim 40, wherein at least some of the plurality ofthe keys are disposed along a first arc relative to a first point ofreference on the device and at least some others of the plurality ofkeys are disposed along a second arc relative to a second point ofreference on the device, and wherein each key disposed along the firstarc is oriented at an angle different than every other key in the firstarc, and each key disposed along the second arc is oriented at an angledifferent than every other key in the second arc.
 43. The handhelddevice of claim 40, wherein the vertical columns include five verticalcolumns of keys, and wherein: within a first column of keys disposedclosest to a center of the handheld electronic device, at least some ofthe keys are oriented at a first angle relative to horizontal, within asecond column of keys disposed between the first column of keys and anoutside edge of the handheld electronic device, at least some the keysare oriented at a second angle relative to horizontal which is differentthan the first angle, within a third column of keys disposed between thesecond column of keys and the outside edge of the handheld electronicdevice, at least some the keys are oriented at a third angle relative tohorizontal which is different than the first and second angles, within afourth column of keys disposed between the third column of keys and theoutside edge of the handheld electronic device, at least some the keysare oriented at a fourth angle relative to horizontal which is differentthan the first, second, and third angles, and within a fifth column ofkeys disposed between the fourth column of keys and the outside edge ofthe handheld electronic device, at least some the keys are oriented at afifth angle relative to horizontal which is different than the first,second, third, and fourth angles.
 44. The handheld device of claim 43,wherein the first angle is greater than the second angle, which isgreater than the third angle, which is greater than the fourth angle,which is greater than the fifth angle.
 45. A handheld electronic devicecomprising: a display screen adapted for displaying visiblerepresentations of content of an electronic book; and a thumb keyboardhaving keys positioned to be operable by a user's thumbs when the useris holding a bottom of the handheld electronic device, the thumbkeyboard comprising a plurality of keys including: a top row ofhorizontally aligned keys; a plurality of middle rows of keys, theplurality of middle rows of keys including at least 26 keys, which aredisposed in vertical columns, including a first vertical column closestto a center of the handheld electronic device and additional verticalcolumns, which are between the first vertical column and an outside edgeof the handheld electronic device; and a bottom row of horizontallyaligned keys; wherein keys located in the middle rows of keys of thefirst vertical column are oriented at a first angle from horizontal, andwherein keys located in the middle rows of keys of the additionalvertical columns are oriented at angles from horizontal thatprogressively decrease toward the outside edge of the handheldelectronic device.
 46. The handheld electronic device of claim 45,further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) underlying the thumbkeyboard, the PCB having a uniform grid of contacts arranged inhorizontal rows and vertical columns, wherein a center point of each ofthe plurality of keys is located at a distinct intersection of one ofthe horizontal rows with one of the vertical columns of the uniform gridof contacts.